With the ongoing COVID 19-pandemic, the majority of our daily routine has been reduced to the bare minimum since the lockdown of many countries means closing down social life, from pubs to concert halls and even playgrounds, all in the name of social distancing. However, given humans are social by nature, this feature of the tragic year of 2020 is perhaps one of the most trying aspects and many people suffer from a state of isolation and loneliness at present, the concept of the quarantine has become a fact of life, even though you may be perfectly healthy. Considering his collaboration with actress Tilda Swinton “Memoria” has been delayed to 2021, Thai film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul has been going through the same emotions, with the craving for human connection resulting in a re-connection with nature, one of the core themes in his many works.
In his new short feature “October Rumbles” the director has perhaps found a way to visualize the two sides of social distancing. With the images of nature being projected on a curtain, which is violently shaken by the wind and the rain outside, the eye of the camera/ protagonist (?) observes these scenes of what seem to be rocks, trees and a figure going into the jungle carrying a flashlight. Eventually the camera withdraws from the curtain and looks directly into the jungle, the leaves, trees and bushes as well as the rain falling on them.
Even though “October Rumbles” is only five minutes long, Weerasethakul manages to capture a rare moment of clarity in one's life. Similar to the contemplative nature of works like “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” or “Cemetery of Splendor”, nature, or rather the jungle, becomes a place of both, longing and dreams, a surreal, transitory location where you may just find the most profound of connection. While you may read the feature as an expression of the desire to go outside, it is also a celebration of the richness a person carries inside, the treasure of experiences, dreams and memories which in the end lead to a connection with the self.
Eventually, “October Rumbles” is a short film which deals with the possibility of re-gaining a connection with the world and yourself in a trying time such as the current year. Within the context of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's other work, this may be “just” an exercise for the director, but it is proof that one of the most spiritual and creative filmmakers has not been idle during the lockdown.
